Community and Leadership Opportunities Contribute to Students’ Decision to Live on Campus

01 Feb 2012

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AMES, Iowa— Over 90% of incoming freshmen choose to live on campus each year, a decision that leads to new friends, important study groups, and an opportunity to be a part of something special on campus.

“I chose to live on campus because I really wanted to be a part of a community as a freshman,” said Britni Andreassen, a resident of Wilson Hall. “I absolutely love it out here! I really like the community. I really like the people and I just really like everything about it.”

Andreassen, who spends her free time playing video games, watching movies and going to campus events with her hallmates, chose to room with a friend from high school. Despite all of the warnings she heard from others about rooming with her best friend, Andreassen and her roommate are planning on living together again next year, thanks in part to the friendships they made outside of their own.

“My hallmates are amazing,” said Andreassen. “I don’t know where I’d be without the people I met here.”

Andreassen isn’t the only one enjoying her residence hall community. But Adam Guenther, a junior in animal science, stays on campus for more than the atmosphere.

“I chose to live on campus because I really enjoyed the people and the community that I developed in my building my freshman year,” said Adam Guenther, a junior in animal science living in Birch Hall. “I also like all the leadership and programming opportunities there are in the building.”

For Guenther, whose interests span from playing the bagpipes and mastering a Scrabble board to tutoring athletes at the Hixson-Lied Success Center, it’s the connections he’s developed as a residence hall leader that have helped define his Cyclone experience.

“I’ve had the pleasure to represent the residence halls as one of four Government of the Student Body Senators and it has allowed me the chance to work with such a wonderful group of people at GSB and the Inter-Residence Hall Association (IRHA),” said Guenther.

Nick Meier, a sophomore living in Friley Hall, says it’s the combination of community, convenience, and social events that make living on campus the right choice for him.

“Next year, I’ll continue to live in Friley because it’s a very social and friendly area for me,” said Meier. “It’s a great environment really close to my classes. I’m a very social person so in my spare time I hang out with people in my house, other friends in Friley and some community advisors. There are also events planned by Friley Hall like dances, tournaments, and other social events.”

Meier knows all about the events. As House President of Godfrey House in Friley Hall, Meier is a leader in his house, constantly attending house and hall meetings to provide input about what his hallmates would like to see and experience in the residence halls. Meier can’t find another location that matches what Friley Hall has to offer.

“I highly recommend living on campus because of the people, environment, convenience, and the opportunities available,” said Meier.

Andreassen, Guenther, and Meier are all planning on living on campus next year. They’ve signed their contracts and are taking part in the recontracting process where they will be picking out their rooms for the 2012-13 school year on Access Plus.

Residents interested in living in Frederiksen Court, SUV Apartments, or Buchanan Hall should submit their contracts immediately. Selection for spaces in the apartment communities and Buchanan Hall begins this week. Students who would like to live in the residence halls again next year should have their contracts signed by Feb. 10 in order to guarantee their current residence hall location or to move to another residence hall.

Whether it’s making friends and feeling at home or getting involved on campus and guiding the experiences of nearly 10,000 on-campus residents, for students like Andreassen, Guenther, and Meier, the Cyclone experience revolves around their decision to live on campus.

For more information about living on campus, visit the Department of Residence website at housing@iastate.edu or call 515-294-4800. You can also ask questions on the Department of Residence Facebook page or by tweeting to @ISUDOR.